A Smigden

Oh it has been so long since I have had a chance to get here. I have been thinking about it daily. We were hit hard with the tummy bug last weekend. Actually Jude started on Thursday. Friday Elizabeth and I fell. Then Sunday it was daddy's turn. We were miserable. Elizabeth's best line "I don't even feel a smidgen good mommy, not even a little!" Ah from the mouth of babes. We were hunkered down together taking turns puking. Mu husband is a saint and stayed up with us all night. Not that we need any more details.
This week was also my parent-teacher conferences at school. I kinda love conferences. I am a total teacher-dork at heart. Its so great to deliver progress reports. My kids in class are doing great. So its easy for me to sit and boast about them.
Our new babysitter started this week too. Elizabeth and Jude love her. She is a sweetheart. Friday was her first full day. When I came home from work my house, GULP, was spotless. She totally cleaned. I almost cried. Then Richard and I hit the town last night. We made it to 11pm. Woo-hoo! It was nice to get out and hear live music.
So the precious little baby blanket posted above is a project I am trying to get the courage to start. I actually have a few folks in my life who are pregnant. Jude's daycare provider is one of them. Thought this would be a nice token of our appreciation. Just having an excuse to yarn shop is inspiration enough.
We are off to the aquarium tomorrow. I can't wait. It has been too long since we have had a family outing. And, we are taking the subway into the city. Jude is going to flip! My little man. Hopefully, I will get a chance to take some great pics.

Tubby Time

I know, we probably shouldn't put pictures of our kids in the tub on the internet. Do you have DSS on speed dial? We used to live in an apt that had only a really cool stone shower. We loved it but it was not great for our then 2 year old daughter. So we bought this cool wash tub. It was super retro and cute. We tubbed her in it for a year or two. Now its our favorite container to store adult beverages in for bbq's. I took all these really great photos of her covered in bubbles in the cool steel tub. They, of course, were from my film days and are collecting dust in a photo album. She wanted to recreate the look a year or so ago. A bit older requiring more suds. The other day, I realized I need to take the same embarrassing photos of Jude. He is not such a fan of the suds. Such a handsome guy.

From the Mouth of Babes

Elizabeth joined me during my 100 push-up challenge. We were head to head, pushing away. Then we switched to sit-ups. We stretched and went back to push-ups. As we finished she says "OK, mom now its time to practice our splits!" I am laughing as I am typing this. If you know me, you know splits are definitely not a strong point of mine. She has now decided to be my coach. Rather, a push-up tyrant. She is a gym teacher in the making. I think I will buy her a whistle. If you need a little tough love in the work out department, come to my house, Elizabeth will get you in shape! I am thankful for her motivation. But I am finding her a little intense! She's 6 yrs old by the way....

Day Three....

This is a rest day for the push up challenge. And! I am not sore. Love it! Found myself doing major portion control at dinner tonight. Jude and I split a baked potato. I ate the end of the meatloaf. I piled high the broccoli. When I shopped this week, I made sure to stock the house with appropriate munchies.....nuts, dried fruit, rice cakes. I know these snacks will satisfy me as soon as I get the crave for junk out of my system. My vitamin supplements are a big help. They are pricey and I can not always afford them. But when I can, they rock. They proved me with mood enhancers, stress blockers, appetite management. I have given them the name 'crack-in-box.' ;0)

100 Push-up Challenge Day Two

Day two of my 100 push-up/200 sit-up challenge. For the push-ups you are supposed to skip a day. I started Thursday and let me tell you I am still hurtin'. There should be some sort of warning on the website about how sore you will be. Friday morning I couldn't even pick up a piece of paper never mind my 35 lb son. Today I am sore but feel comfortable behind the wheel again. Seriously, day one made me super shaky. It only solidified how out of shape I am. I just completed day two and accomplished 26 push-ups! I am on my own routine of sit-ups and managed 80! I thought I would take a picture of my arm as part of the experiment. Lets see where I am in 3 weeks which is half way and again at 6 weeks, the end. Even holding up the camera was a challenge. So there is a picture of my old, flabby arm. We were **blah** at the mall this afternoon. I tried on a pair of the sketcher shape-ups. I am kinda obsessed. The original shoe is called MBT. They are supposed to work your core. A friend of my has had a pair for a couple of years. But she is in fabulous shape already and a peanut. The sneakers officially make me about 6'2". So the sketchers brand run around $100. The MBT's are around $250. Probably the ugliest shoes I have ever seen. There marketing is clever. "Get a work out with out even stepping into a gym." I'm in! As soon as I can afford it. Champagne taste, beer pocket....

Upswing

I finally feel like I am on an upswing. I am ready to take charge of my life or me rather. As a full time teacher, mother of two, and wife, I let myself go. Which is easy this time of year. In summer, I am eating healthier, running every morning, hittin' the beach with kids....not working! Fall and winter hit me like a ton of bricks this year. Running around like a mad woman trying to fit it all in. I have gained a pant size since I started teaching again....blech! I was almost down to my goal size this summer. I have no idea how much I weigh. I can't really put it in perspective being a 6' tall girl. Two kids later and on the younger side of 33, I am officially struggling with my weight. It sucks. It is so much easier to give in and stuff my face. I have a birthday celebration with my students at least twice a month. Which means cupcakes or brownies or.....Things you would never eat on a daily basis. But that is over today. The new leaf has been turned. Six months to beach season. I am starting the hundred push challenge tonight. and adding crunches to it. The hubby is working late tonight. Which I am happy about. The kiddos were put to bed and I soaked in a tub for awhile. Sunk myself underwater and had a pep talk. Not the most exciting post but I needed to get it out there. Now it is on record. Wish me luck!

Our Winter Wonderland

Our backyard is the best. It comes complete with a stream, climbing trees, sledding hill, tree frogs, wildflowers, a slip and slide runway, rocks to turnover, and snow fortresses. I have always loved playing in the snow. Elizabeth is right there with me. We were sledding, building snowman, hiking up the mountain, kicking back under a snow covered tree. Just when I think I am a total beach bum and want to move someplace warm, we get hit with a snowstorm like this. Maybe its my German blood or the fact my mother used to push me out the door with the dog at the crack of dawn. In either case, I could spend hours in the snow. My hubby is the same way. We took turns playing with Elizabeth and my niece because Jude was not so psyched about the snow. He a bit of a delicate fleur. My sweet little boy. He spent most of the time trying to play with he cement mixer in the snow. I'm sure in another year he will be up to speed. I love the way it is so quiet in the snow. Magical. Like we are in a different world. It feels so surreal in our yard. Not sure if the pictures can capture that....

One Man's Trash.....

Today I had one of my neurotic cleaning fits where I empty the contents of a room and throw crap away. The victim today was the basement. I carry around a couple of bins of stuff. Important stuff like my rocks I gathered when I canoed the Allagash or a bag full of super 8 film that I, someday, am going to sew into a cool dress. You know, stuff. My husband has a few boxes.....5. So I dragged them upstairs and had him sort through them. I found my long lost cd collection with a very rare Ray Lamontagne bootleg I thought I had lost. A certain friend in Maine will be receiving a copy soon, I promise! I out did myself and emptied 5 plastic tubs of stuff. Now we only have one each. I loaded up the jeep and Elizabeth and I hit the road to Salvation Army. I thought for sure they would be closed but alas they where open. As I pulled around back to the Donation Center there was a huge pile of other people's stuff waiting to be sorted. I don't know what is wrong with me but when I see a pile of free stuff, I think there's gotta be something in there I need. I adverted my eyes as Elizabeth and I unloaded. I would not look at....wait is that a perfectly good toboggan? Wow, huge hula-hoops, I have been looking for one of those! Two identical sleds for the upcoming snow storm! Alright, I was psyched now. But I knew I had to be strong and not take anything. Now I am the proud owner of two sleds....but that's all I promise! Anyways, it led to a cool conversation with Elizabeth using the phrase "One man's trash is another man's treasure." An complex concept for a six year old. Even though I drag her through vintage store after vintage store, she does not differentiate between old and new. Cool, I like that.